The Big Bash is Back
by Cloud Pines
Summary: In this thrilling sequel to the episode The Big Bash, Bashful discovers having an alter ego isn't always easy. Bulls aren't exactly easy to hide. On top of that, the Glooms are onto the little hero, and the Queen expects him to be in two places at once. Rated T for blood. (Pre-Season 2)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** _Hullo! This is my first fanfiction, so reviews would really help. This was proof-read by_ divine Comedian. _While you're at it, check out their stories; they really do rock! Now for the actual story. Onwards Aoshima!_

A small dwarf woke to a crash. He opened his brilliant violet eyes and pulled his yellow-green covers up to his nose.

"H-Hello? Grumpy? Doc? Is th-that you?" Bashful stammered. He glanced around the room only to find that his fellows were in their beds, asleep. He mustered enough courage to peek out the window. A blue-grey bull stood outside, ramming its head against the wall. Bashful slid out of bed, pulling on a baggy green sweater, long grey pants, and sneakers. He literally silently crept downstairs and out the door.

The bull came toward the shy dwarf, whom was holding out his hand to the animal.

"What are you doing here?" whispered Bashful.

In response, the bull ran at the clothesline, grabbed a pair of red pajamas with its horns, and laid them before his friend.

"You want me to be the Big Bash? But, I can't! I just don't have the guts." He patted the bull's head. "I'm sorry, boy."

The animal crouched and flung Bashful onto his back. The bull ran to the edge of town, which was on the verge of destruction. The town was cracking down the middle, not harming the houses, but it was a matter of time until the castle split.

"Queen Delightful! We gotta save her!" The bull smiled up at the dwarf, who grinned determinedly back down, tying the pajamas around his neck like a cape. "Let's go, boy!"

The bull took off like a whirlwind, bursting through trees, which ripped the top part of Bashful's tall hat, making what was left look like a mask. His messy strawberry-blonde hair whipped in the wind. There was a determined glint in his purple eyes.

The duo tore through the town, a green and grey blur. Bashful, having become the Big Bash, gripped the horns of the bull and pulled back. The animal jumped, making it into the castle through a window. The glass shattered and flew behind them. The superheroes ran through the palace to the queen's chambers. The bull kicked down the door.

Bashful jumped off and shook the ruler awake. "You're in danger. Come with me." He grabbed the tiny dog at the foot of the bed, knowing he was important to the queen, and the latter's hand.

Queen Delightful, fully awake, followed the Big Bash onto the bull, who charged out of the shaking building. Debris rained down. Rumbles shook the castle.

"We aren't going to make it!" screamed the queen at the top of her lungs as rubble sprinkled down on them.

"Yes. We. _Are!_ " On the last word, Bashful pulled the bull's horns back and they jumped in a perfect arc. The group plummeted, the queen yelling, her dog yelping.

The bull touched down and dug its hooves into the ground. Queen Delightful slipped off deliberately, holding her dog.

"Thank you! You saved me!" The blonde gently pressed her lips to the hero's cheek.

Blushing furiously, Bashful bowed. "Glad to be of help." He rode off, stopping to call, "The 7D will be glad to repair the damages done to your lovely home, I'm sure." He continued on his way, grabbing the rest of his hat from the brambles. His face was tomato-red and he couldn't stop smiling.

He got of the bull and pinned up the pajamas. "Thanks again. We make a great team." Bashful petted the bull, who affectionately rubbed its head against the dwarf's hand. The secret hero reattached his hat and waved goodbye to his bull.

Bashful headed back inside, and made himself some porridge. At 7:00, the alarm rung upstairs, and the other dwarves woke. Footsteps were coming downstairs, and Bashful hastily wiped off the lipstick print on his cheek. Doc was first to arrive at the bottom of the stairs.

"Good morning, Bash. How long were you up?" he asked, grabbing fruit from the fridge.

"I just got up. I couldn't sleep." Bashful looked down at his food, hoping the smart dwarf wouldn't see through him.

The rest filed down and ate hungrily. A knock sounded at the door. Bashful tensed. Who could that be this early? Happy opened the door to a boy with a satchel.

"Mornin', sir. Have a newspaper! The Big Bash is back!" The boy thrust a paper into Happy's hands and ran off.

"The Big Bash is back?" Happy repeated, curious. He laid the newspaper on the table, and Bashful saw his own face on the front page, though disguised. The headline read, "The Big Bash saves Queen"

The 7D talked excitedly, Bashful not joining. He didn't like the popularity, even though people didn't know it was him. The thought of being discovered as a hero and being talked about made Bashful's stomach churn.

"Hey, Bash. Who do you think he is?" Sneezy asked in his nasally voice.

"Um...well...if he wears a mask, maybe he doesn't want to be discovered." Bashful bit his lip.

"Well if this Big Bash guy keeps doing what he's doing, we'll be put out of business," complained Grumpy. "The queen won't need us anymore."

"C'mon, Grumpy!" said Happy. "The Big Bash hardly ever shows up! And when he did, there was nothing _we_ could do about the problem." He whipped out his guitar and strummed a few notes with an Irish tune.

"Oh, boy," groaned Grumpy.

 _The Big Bash will stop at nothing_

 _To save the queen._

 _Yes, he's the bravest fellow_

 _She's ever seen!_

 _He'll save the day_

 _upon his bull._

 _You gotta admit-_

 _That's pretty coooool!_

Happy grinned. "I made that up just now!"

While the rest chatted, Bashful slipped under the table. He slid back a floorboard that his the entrance to one of his secret passageways, because you never knew when you needed to escape. He lowered himself into the small tunnel and curled up under the scene. Bashful pulled his hat lower over his face. Hearing all the commotion about his alter-ego really did make him nervous.

Then, the sound of bells echoed through the cottage. Bashful hurriedly pulled himself out of his tunnel and popped back up at the table. "The queen needs us!"

The dwarves spent a good portion of the day repairing the town and castle. The others mostly complained, but Bashful was happy to do it for the queen. It should be mentioned in this story that Bashful has a major crush on Queen Delightful. So he swept debris, hammered, glued, all the while thinking of the greater thing he had done. And the kiss the queen planted on his cheek. Bashful nearly fainted just thinking about it.

Bashful was filling the crack in with dirt, when his bull came charging toward him and sat down. "What? Is someone in trouble? You _know_ I can't be a hero."

The bull scoffed as if to say, _"Please. You've been a hero twice already. You saved the queen from death, Bashful!"_ Then he shook his head.

"Just wanna hang out, huh?" Bashful smiled and patted the animal's head. "You know what? I never named you." He thought, leaning on his shovel. "The Bionic Bull can be your superhero name, but you'll be John to me."

The bull happily pawed the ground. Bashful grinned, feeling he had a close buddy that understood him.

"Bashful! There's a bull behind you!"screamed Sneezy suddenly. The other dwarves whipped around, Sleepy waking up. Doc pulled a whistle from his hat and blew.

Bashful turned and saw his bull squirming in agony. He threw his arms around John's neck, hoisting himself up. He stood, covering the animal's ears tightly as to protect from the whistle. Bashful was sure his face was flushed when he yelled protectively, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU SEE A BULL BEHIND ME SO YOU TORTURE IT?" He never wanted any harm to come to his buddy.

Doc lowered his whistle in surprise. The group stared with wide eyes.

"Do you know this bull?" asked Sleepy.

Bashful became aware that this was the bull that always accompanied the Big Bash. "No...Sorry..." Biting his lip, the dwarf lowered himself from the bull. "Sorry I yelled," he whispered as he picked up his shovel and scooped some dirt. He was then alerted by screams of terror. Bashful turned to see John charging at Dopey, who was whistling frantically, trying to use his animal skills to call off the bull.

No such luck.

The rest of the 7D were screaming and trying to get the animal away from the mute dwarf, but John's eyes were locked on Dopey's red hat. Even Sneezy's powerful nose didn't knock the bull off course.

"Floom," muttered Bashful.

Bashful, not wanting to draw attention to himself, ducked behind a wagon and tried to whistle. He soon realized that he didn't know how. Instead, he pulled back his sleeve, for he didn't want to give any clues to who the Big Bash was, and held out his hand, in which lay an apple from the inside of the wagon (which was mostly filled with carrots). Something red.

The bull's attention was grabbed the the glisten of even brighter red, and ran toward the cart, huffing. Bashful's eyes narrowed. "Come on..." He jerked the apple toward him at the last moment, causing the bull to turn sharply, though keep sliding a bit. Bashful stood to get his sidekick and take him home, but the rest of his group thundered past him.

The 6D ran around the animal, wrapping it in rope. Doc quickly tied the bonds and the bull fell over.

"If Bashful was here, we couldn't have saved ourselves," Grumpy remarked.

"I wonder why he stood up for this bull," yawned Sleepy.

"And where's Bashful now?" Doc wondered.

"C'mon, let's just get rid of this thing," said Grumpy rudely.

Bashful gasped. They _cannot_ hurt his pet! The shy dwarf ducked through secret tunnels like lightning, and grabbed his cape from the line. He tore off the top part of his hat and hid it under the hamper. He ran back, covering ground speedily. He dug his heels into the ground in front of John. The Big Bash got on his knees and started to untie the ropes.

"What do you think you're doing?" questioned Grumpy, standing above Bashful.

"I'm getting my bull," Bashful said lightly, finishing with the bindings. He hoisted himself onto the back of the Bionic Bull. "Though I can't imagine why he was tied up in the first place." He couldn't stop the icy line from escaping his lips. It wasn't something he would normally say; he was usually sweet.

"For your information, your bull attacked Dopey," Grumpy snarled.

"It would seem your friend _is_ wearing a red hat. The Bionic Bull attacks the colour red." Bashful usually wasn't cocky or foolhardy.

"That animal's insane! It sees red and attacks anything!"

"Not while I'm here." Bashful patted John's head. He steered the animal over to Dopey. The dwarves backed up, dumbfounded and frightened. Dopey's hat was in clear view, but John merely stepped forward, sniffed, and chewed on some grass. "See?" the Big Bash said. He was about to ride off when Doc said,

"Hey! Bashful has a sweater like that!"

Bashful and John froze and slowly turned around.

"Hey! He does!" Happy grinned. "Do you know Bashful? He's one of the 7D! You might not; he's shy."

"And he's always hiding," added Sneezy.

"And being all scared," Sleepy contributed.

"He's no use. I've been trying to make it the 6D for a while now," Grumpy chuckled.

Bashful's masked face clouded over. His violet eyes glazed, as if he was trapped in a nightmare while awake. His grip on the horns of his pet loosened so that they were just hanging there, limply. A worried John rushed off carefully, not wanting his owner to fall off, but knowing he had to get him out of there.

The talk continued.

"He acts like a five year old."

"He barely, if at all, helps."

"He just doesn't understand things."

"If he's always googly-eyin' the queen, how's he s'posed to do anything?"

As the duo ran through the woods, John could feel Bashful laying his head on the former's nape, hot tears on his fur. Quiet sobs originated from the small body, making the bull's heart crack. Fury burned inside of the great beast. How _dare_ Bashful's so-called "friends" insult him behind his back! If Bashful wasn't there, John would've charged.

They were just getting out of sight of the town, when a high "Yoohoo!" stopped them. The queen herself came up next to the bull, smiling. Bashful buried his face in the short fur of his sidekick.

"I wanted to thank you again for saving me," Queen Delightful began. "There will be a humongous party in your honor tonight around seven-ish. I hope to see you there!" Concern sunk into her features. "Is everything alright?" She prodded his arm gently.

The small dwarf looked up, trying to hide his tears. His plump face was a brilliant shade of red; tears stained his face, flowing from his big eyes. He just wanted to go home, curl up in his thick blanket, and hide from the cold, judging world. He didn't wanna face anyone, much less the _queen_ , his _crush_.

Queen Delightful drew back, surprised. "What happened?" she asked, sympathy and worry drowning her tone.

Bashful bit his lip. He thought having an alter ego with which he could show his true colours would wash away his shyness, but it didn't. It had certainly worked last time, but now he wanted to run and hide.

"Nothing, your majesty," he lied with much difficulty.

The blonde stood, an naively confused expression on her face. "So why were you crying?"

"Um..." It's always hard to lie on the spot (unless you rock at life). Bashful thought. Why would a fearless superhero cry? "Well...I-" Thankfully, the queen's advisor chose that moment to appear.

"Lord Starchbottom! What are you doing here?" asked Queen Delightful, startled.

Starchy ignored the bull and crying hero. "For the party tonight, do you want Jenny Jollywood? She finally got that frog out of her throat."

"Don't be silly! We must have Bashful sing again! Only the best for the dwarf who saved me! Twice now! Did you know?"

"But...it's _Bashful_! You know how he is!" Starchbottom looked like he would do anything to get Bashful not to perform. Intrigued, Bashful listened in.

"I dunno, how is he? Not ill, I hope! He has the most wonderful voice!" Blush creeped over the nearby dwarf's face, along with a smile.

Lord Starchbottom sighed, annoyed. "No. I mean his stage fright!"

"He was fine last time," responded the queen blankly.

"B-But-"

"No more excuses, Lord Starchbottom. We _must_ have Bashful perform! I can't wait for the Big Bash to see the star of Jollywood!" Queen Delightful clasped her hands happily and skipped off, her dress flowing.

Bashful had moved John into the trees, choosing a perfect hiding place for the hiders, time, and place. It was his special talent.

Starchbottom rubbed his temples. "If that Bashful sings again, I'm done! Done! What am I gonna do?"

 _What does he mean, "done"?_ Bashful's mind was occupied, so he didn't think much on the problem of being two different people in the same place at the same time. Thankfully, the hurtful comments his "friends" had said were pushed to the side also. _And how could my singing ruin Starchy?_

The advisor left and John the bull was lead back to the cottage. Bashful was chewing gently on his lip, lost in thought. This time, he was pondering why Starchy didn't want him to sing. It definitely wasn't for the sake of Bashful. He didn't have stage fright anymore anyways; he quite liked performing. He just didn't like the attention and fame. Besides, Lord Starchbottom only ever thought about himself.

Bashful slid off the bull and turned to the clothesline to grab his hat from under the laundry basket. The basket was gone, the drying clothes missing. The shy dwarf's face fell. He swiftly removed his cape and whipped the mask part of his hat off his face, just in case he got caught, which wasn't likely, considering his epic hiding skills.

"Go in the woods, boy," he called back to John, taking off his beloved hat. The bull snorted in understanding and ran into the forest, Bashful's pyjama-cape hooked onto his back. The shy dwarf pulled his mask off reluctantly, showing his young pale face. He had always hated not wearing his hat. It made him feel exposed and more vulnerable than usual.

But he powered through and ducked into a tunnel hidden under one of the poles of the clothesline. He squeezed through the tunnel, enjoying the small space. He had to get inside without being too obvious. He would have to make it look like he was in the house this whole time.

Bashful slipped his mask into the back pocket of his grey pants as he crawled through the earthy tunnel. He resurfaced under the dresser. The dwarf got out from under it, looking around. The room was empty of dwarves and, unfortunately, his hat. Voices originated from the next room over. The shy dwarf strained his ears to listen.

"Where do you think he is?"

"I hope nothing bad happened to him! He never goes anywhere without his hat!"

Bashful realized that he was the subject of conversation. How often did his fellows talk about him? What did they say?

Bashful swallowed back the hurt and slipped around the room, unseen. His precious hat was sitting limply on the table. The dwarf's bright violet eyes locked on his target, none of the usual timidness in their depths. There was too much at stake here-his true identity, who Bashful really was-to be afraid. Which was funny, because that gave him every reason to be scared.

The shy dwarf hid under the stove, anticipating his next move. Suddenly, Dopey raised his head and sniffed the air. He jumped off his chair and walked about the kitchen on all fours, his nose twitching just above the pulled-up neck of his blue sweater.

Bashful pressed himself to the wall as far as he could go. As Dopey reached the stove, Bashful became painfully aware that his face was exposed.

Dopey stopped at the front of the appliance and barked. The rest of the 6D, whom had been on their friend's heels, shared glances. Doc alone crouched down and looked under the stove, where Bashful squirmed uncomfortably.

"Bashful?" exclaimed Doc, surprised.

"Bashful?" repeated the rest, dumbfounded.

"What are ya doin' down there?" asked Happy. "We have your hat."

Bashful tried to corral his messy mane, to no avail. He wished for his hat, both to hide his identity and his flyaway hair. But forget about that! He was cornered, caught in the act.

"How long were you down there?" Sleepy asked in his calm voice.

"Guys, guys. It's obvious he was here since he called us off for harming the bull," Doc said.

"Of course! Because he felt so bad!" Sneezy said.

Bashful blew out his breath. The explanation had been worked out for him; he didn't have to bear the pressure of coming up with an ababi. Finally, the others ignoring him and talking about him as if he wasn't there came in handy. Bashful easily came out of hiding, his pining gaze on his hat. He would really enjoy hiding his face right now.

"But why was your hat under the laundry basket?" Grumpy inquired rather rudely.

Bashful gulped. He had forgotten about that loose end. "I was...um...and...that bull..."

While the 6D interrogated their youngest member, something else was happening at a much, say, _gloomier_ housing.

Hildy Gloom growled in her throat. She pushed her crystal ball away and turned to her blue-haired husband. "Grim, we have a problem." Her tone was harsh.

The aforementioned husband was poking around in the fridge. "I know what you mean. We're out of hummus."

The pink-haired witch slammed her fists on the table in frustration. "No! I meant that masked hero!"

"Which one?" asked Grim, licking peanut butter off his finger.

"The one on the bull, Grim. He's back."

"Was he the one that burst through like, _woosh_! And then he was like _wha!_ and he saved the queen! Cuz, he's awesome!"

"NO, HE'S NOT! In case you forgot, he's the one who stopped our plan! He's the one who stopped us from getting the queen's golden skybucket! He's back, and he already saved the queen from our earthquake."

"Seems he always appears when the queen is in trouble," said Grim, dropping peanut butter onto the carpet.

"Exactly. He's a loyal servant to the queen. He's worse than the 7D! At least the 7D rely on teamwork; if we knock out one, the rest are near powerless! But this _Big Bash_ …

"GET RID OF HIM, GRIMMY!" Hildy screamed loudly, causing her husband to shrink back.

"Anything for my Hildy Wildy," grinned the wizard as he grabbed his magic broom and soared out the door. "Oh boy…" Grim realized little too late that he had no idea where to start finding the masked hero.

Bashful slumped in one of his favorite alcoves, his mind clouded with thoughts. He had finally escaped his fellow dwarves and their questions. He hugged his legs to his chest and laid his head against the backboard of the dresser, which stood in front of the shy dwarf.

His head snapped up when he heard Happy's voice.

"Sorry Queen Delightful. We can't find Bashful anywhere! But I'm sure he'll turn up in time for your party."

"I do hope so. It won't be much of a party without Bashful." The queen's voice reached Bashful's ears, making him blush and grin goofily. "He's providing the music!" The happiness drained from the dwarf. He was only needed for music?


	2. Chapter 2

**The Big Bash is Back**

Chapter 2

 _ **DISCLAIMER!:** **I do NOT in any way, shape or form own the 7D. The belong to Disney XD, but I wouldn't mid joining the crew. (wink wink nudge nudge)**_

 _ **Author's Note:** I'm not dead! Yayyyy! I am so sorry for not having this out earlier. The last document was deleted and school started. It was terrible. I'm using a new system, so things will probably look different. But the response to this fanfic has been ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Thank you all! And to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited, you inspired me to work harder than ever on this story! _

Bashful slumped in his hiding place, tears threatening to stream down his face. Everything he's heard today, heard everytime he accidentally heard something he wasn't supposed to, that all lead to the fact that he was unneeded. It stung his heart, but the idea stuck in his head. It all made sense.

Bashful's violet eyes sparkled with tears, and he couldn't hold them back. Salty tears flowed strongly and collected on the dwarf's sweater. Sobs alerted the 6D and they came running to the dresser.

Bashful heard the pounding of footsteps on the other side, but he didn't even bother trying to stifle his wails. What was the point? They already looked down on him. They didn't care.  
"Bashful! What's wrong?" Sneezy called out in a nasaly voice.

"Don't make us knock this door down!" That was obviously Grumpy yelling.

"Bashful?" The speaker had a sweet, light voice that made Bashful's face pale. Queen Delightful never left.

The dwarf buried his face. Oh, she probably thought he was so babyish. The queen was so beautiful and nice. _She deserves better than_ _me..._

Bashful's green sweater was damp by now. The tears were coming furiously.

"Bashful! Come out and talk to us!" Doc said from the other side of the dresser.

"I will break it down if you don't come out!" Grumpy threatened. "Don't think I won't!"

The shy guy wiped his tears the best he could. The was no running from this. He slipped out from under the cabinet and faced his fellows (and the queen).

Queen Delightful recoiled slightly when she saw the poor dwarf. His violet eyes were puffy and watery. His face was pasty; there were bags under his eyes. How long had he been crying?

Sneezy put an arm around the shaking dwarf. "Hey, buddy. What's wrong?"

"You can tell us," Happy grinned. "We're your family!"

Dopey whistled softly.

Bashful's expression hardened. He could see through their lies now. He knew he was the weak, unwanted link in their chain. The dwarves that had been his family for so many years had unintentionally revealed their real feelings, and there was no going back from that.

Grim Gloom flew around on his broom for a bit, sorta waiting for something to point him to the Big Bash. Eventually he gave up and touched down in a forest clearing. The warlock turned his head and caught sight of a blue-grey creature.

It was facing the other way and calmly munching on grass. Its horns jutted out menecingly.

Grim tapped his chin, his brain struggling to work. "Hmmm...That's a bull...The Big Bash rides a bull...Maybe that bull knows the bull that belongs to the Big Bash!" Congratulating himself on the awesome idea, the blue-haired wizard pulled out his wand. He cast a spell on the bull that would allow him to read the animal's thoughts.

Whispy grey words hovered over the bull's ivory colored horns. They read as followed: _Wow this is good grass. I like this grass._ Grim's head slipped; this bull was boring. But suddenly...

 _I'm glad Bashie accidentally broke me out of that pen. I love the wild._

That was all that was discovered before the spell faded.

Grim bit his tounge. _"Bashie"_ Where did he hear that before? It took him some rough thinking, but he connected the nickname Bashie with the Big Bash.

The male Gloom jumped from his hiding place, wand ablaze, and grabbed the bull. "What do you know about the Big Bash?"

John squirmed in attempt to escape, but to no avail. The steaming wand was pressed to his throat. The bull had a short temper, however and slashed his horns in hopes of protecting himself.

The warlock fired a spell that wrapped John in tight bonds. "What do you know about the Big Bash!?"

The only response he got was a huff and an attempt to charge. But when he tried to run, the magic roped tighter around his hooves. John snuffed angrily.

"Big Bash info-NOW!" Grim's dark eyes flashed. He recast the thought-seeing spell and waited for the information to spill out.

 _Gotta keep my thoughts quiet! Man, what is this guy's deal? If I wasn't tied up...!_ _Why does he want this anyway? WHAT DOES HE WANT WITH BASHFUL!?_

John immediately realized his mistake, which only made him angrier. Grim's eyes widened in surprise.

"Woah! I did _not_ see that coming! Thanks, bull!" The wizard grabbed his mop and kicked off from the ground. With a wave of his wand, the bonds tying the animal vaporized.

John roared and tried to attack Grim, who only flew higher, then away. The bull looked down. What was gonna happen to his Bashful?

The little dwarf put his heart and his trust in the care of his bull. John _wouldn't_ let him down! John could clearly see in his mind's eye the tiny hero's crying face. He couldn't let Bashful feel that way ever again.

The bull snuffed and charged off, to the rescue.

Grim touched down in his ominous, swamplike yard, in which sat a creaky cottage. The warlock bustled in, a grin splitting his face.

"I have some juicy information, my little Hildy-Wildy!"

His pink-haired wife came downstairs, a scowl on her face. "This better be good, Grim."

"Ohh, it is! I found out that the Big Bash...is Bashful!"

Silence filled the room.

"Who's that?"

I have no idea!" Grim was still smiling.

Hildy wacked him with her wand. "Then it's not good information, is it?"

From across the room came a voice. "Well what do ya think I'm for?"

The witch groaned at the crystal ball. "Terrible jokes, maybe?"

The crystal ball grinned. "Well, get this, Bashful is one of the 7D! That green one that's always hiding, ya he's the Big Bash."

Hildy smacked her forehead. "Of course!" she exclaimed in her British accent. "Well he should be easy to knock out. That little twerp couldn't hurt a fly!"

The face in the crystal ball turned to Grim. "Hey, looks like this is gonna be a _Big Bash_ , huh?"

Grim giggled, but his wife turned and glared.

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _-_ _calmly gets ready to barf at all the BashfulXJohn ship stuffs-_ _Oh, sorry for the short chapter. I really wanted to get this out!_


	3. Chapter 3

**The Big Bash is Back**

Chapter 3

 _ **DISCLAIMER!:**_ _ **I do NOT own the 7D in any way, shape, or form!**_

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Oh my gosh, guys! You are all so nice! I just-WOW! Nobody has criticized my terrible work and that is so cool!_ _Some parts of this story are pretty weak, though. And don't worry-I haven't forgotten about the Starchbottom thing._

Bashful wrapped his arms around himself, his eyes closed. He was incredibly bothered at the moment. He hated when people fussed over him, and that was exactly what the rest of the 7D along with the queen were doing.

"I bet it'll make you feel better if you tell us what's wrong!" Happy smiled gently at his fellow.

"You really should, Bashful," Doc said breezily.

Bashful lashed inside. He wanted to scream at them, tell them that _they_ were the problem. But he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Instead he said in what was barely a whisper, "I'm gonna go lie down."

The 6D shared glances and Doc nodded at him. Bashful started to hurry off, but a hand touched his shoulder. He looked up into the sparkling baby blues of his queen.

"You can tell me what's wrong. I'm here for you." She smiled warmly and Bashful's heart melted. It was things like this that made him like the queen so much. His mind drifted back to the kiss she planted on his cheek.

But the small voice in the back of his head told him it was the Big Bash she liked, not him. It was this miniscule idea that froze his mind between love and sadness relating to Queen Delightful and kept him carrying on to his bed. He would really enjoy burrowing under his patchwork quilt right now.

The dwarf trudged up the stairs and crawled into his bed. It was elevated on a sort of balcony, like a secluded island. He was isolated with his secrets. Bashful loved the location of his bed.

He pulled the blankets over his head, and his hat around his body. It was the best he could do to escape the dark, judging world.

But outside the giant bedroom, an evil couple was hovering, waiting for the right time to pounce.

Hildy Gloom peered through the glass. Her pasty face lit up when she saw the dwarf climbing into his bed, defeated. She turned to her husband and pointed.

"He's in there, Grim!"

"Who's in there?"

Hildy groaned. Sometimes her husband could be _so_ dumb. "Bashful just entered his room!"

"Wait, what are we doing again?" The blue haired warlock's expression was blank.

His wife pinched the bridge of her nose and waved him off. "Just wait over there." Grim did what he was told and waited.

The pink haired witch raised her wand and pointed it to the window. The tip glowed orange and a beam of light shot out from the end and enveloped the bed. The point of the spell was to make Bashful freeze completely, mind and all, as to not let him notice what was happening.

Slowly and steadily, she levitated the bed. She decided to give a little extra focus and form a crystal ball around it, to make it easier to carry.

Hildy was very pleased with herself as she held the orb in her hand. That was magic _she_ had done, and it was a great feeling!

The witch pocketed the crystal and nodded to her husband. They flew off together, back to their own cottage.

A blue-grey bull raced through the forest on the familiar path to Bashful's home. The oddball house soon came into view and John didn't hesitate to knock down the door. He was determined to protect his best friend.

The room he bust into seemed to have everyone but who he was looking for. It was a room filled with traitors that tore Bashful's heart into pieces. It made John sick with anger.

The door crashed to the wooden floor with a bang and the traitors looked up with a start. The large figure of a bull was crammed into their doorway, so naturally they were surprised. The bull snuffed and slammed its hooves to the ground.

Bashful definitely wasn't here. If he was, he would've come running to the familiar sounds of his animal.

But if he wasn't here, where was he?

The prospect was too much for John. He ran through the room to the stairs. This involved him running over, and crushing the table. Upstairs was his last hope.

He raced up the stairs so fast he slid. John bumped into the window and gazed out. The view made his heart stop.

Outside the Glooms were just riding off. He was too late.

Grumpy growled and followed the animal upstairs.

"Dopey, this is getting ridiculous! Animals can't just come barging in whenever!"

The aforementioned dwarf whistled, to which Doc translated, "Dopey says he doesn't know that bull."

"I think that's the bull from earlier," yawned Sleepy.

Doc tapped his chin with his hat's mechanical arms while he gathered his papers off the broken table. "This is no coincidence. I think we should go check it out."

"Where do you think I was going?" Grumpy pointed out gruffly, continuing up th stairs. The rest of the group followed him.

They peered into their one big giant room of beds carefully. Staring out the window was the bull. They couldn't see its eyes, but they were misty.

Sneezy's nose twitched. There was no animal he wasn't allergic to, and the smell of an animal alone was enough for a sneeze.

So he sneezed. It was a loud, shaking sneeze, just like all his others. John turned at the noise and his red eyes flared. He lept up and pawed the floor. Those dwarves deserved terrible things, and John wasn't forgiving.

The 6D scattered when the beast came charging. The floor shook and they scattered. But John had fiery ambitions, and he was gonna avenge Bashful's feelings, no matter how long it took.

Bashful groggily opened his violet eyes. He couldn't remember falling asleep, and that thought troubled him. He sat up, but slipped. His bed was never slippy.

It was simple: this was not his bed.

The dwarf had been laying on a glass curve, somewhat like a ball. He looked up and around.

This had to be a dream-no, a nightmare. People don't just end up in crystal balls. Especially in the homes of an evil wizard couple.

Bashful started to slam his fists on the side of his cage, but he was weak and his hands just ended up sliding down the glass.

What happened? Why was he here? Nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

Before Bashful knew what was happening, the ball shook. He jerked his head, pressing his small frame against the glass. He screamed a shrill, wavering scream that rattled the glass and issued a few thin cracks.

Grim set the crystal down and covered his ears. "This one might be more loud than that one who's always singing."

"It's _louder_ , Grim. Just find a way to shut him up." His wife leaned over a broiling cauldron, brewing a potion.

Grim twiddled his wand in his milky-white hands, thinking. Bashful fearfully stared up at him. Cracks interrupted his view, though. Eventually, the warlock raised his wand and pointed it into the orb. The dwarf pulled his hat over his tiny body and waited.

The tingling in his throat started small, but grew into a flaming, unbearable sensation. He rasped in pain, but in retaliation to the sound, the discomfort grew. Tears welled in Bashful's violet eyes and streamed down his burning red cheeks. He pounded the wall, screaming internally.

Grim studied the spellbook he got the curse from. He looked down at the dwarf silently bent over in agony. He couldn't tell that the hero was in pain. All he knew was that the spell was making him quiet, and that's what mattered to him.

Bashful's body made a thump as it fell to the ground. The shy dwarf gasped for air. The oxygen burned in his lungs. He wanted to cry out; in pain, for help, but didn't dare. He pulled his knees to his chest and sat, losing hope, his tears splashing on the glass.

The 6D leaned against the boarded up entrance to their beds. It banged on their backs while they talked. Strong huffs and scrapings sounded from the bull on the opposite side.

Suddenly, Dopey started whistling frantically. In the rush, Doc couldn't translate. The muted dwarf ran across his fellows and over to a platform that was littered with a few patches of cloth, but otherwise empty.

Dopey pulled his own red hat over his pale, freckled face and hid behind Doc, to demonstrate his point.

The rest of the dwarves chorused "Ohhhhhh!" before sucking in breath in shock. Indeed, Bashful was missing, even his bed!

"Maybe he's just hiding again," Happy pointed out, trying to look on the bright side of things.

"Hiding or not, we'll have to find him!" Doc announced.

Grumpy groaned. "Is this gonna be another wild goose chase? It seems like we're always doing this with Bashful."

"But isn't it worth it?" Happy smiled. "We love and care about him!"

"If you don't wanna come, you don't have to! But we're going after him!" Sneezy rubbed his nose on his blue scarf.

"Come on, sev—five D!" Doc shouted. "Let's go save Bashful!"  
"HEIGH HO!"

Dopey pulled open the door in his haste, forgetting completely about the furious animal on the other side. The bull saw his chance though, and charged to the doorway. Dopey hurriedly tried to close the door, but didn't have time; the bull was too fast.

John invaded the room, and the 6D scattered. Sneezy dragged a half-asleep Sleepy out of the way, while a scared Dopey jumped onto Grumpy, whimpering like a puppy.

John stormed through the room, knocking over some things, destroying others. However, he skid to a stop when he almost broke the ladder that led to his owner's bed. He slid across the polished wooden floor and crashed into the wall.

That one ladder lit a new fire in him. He had to find Bashful! How could he have forgotten?! The dwarf was with wizards! He could be dead!

Fear flooded John's red eyes and he dashed, forgetting the dwarves he was angry at. He didn't have the ability to focus on two things at once, which could really ruin stuff, but that allowed him more energy to focus on the big stuff…..like his Bashie.

Doc watched the bull thunder out as quickly as he came in. Something was odd with that bull….But he decided not to address it at the moment. He dug around the debris of Bashful's bed and held out a sock for Dopey to sniff.

The animal-like dwarf took a whiff and set off running, searching for the scent. The smell of Bashful was always light, though. The shy dwarf didn't really leave a trail. Dopey had failed at tracking the hider multiple times, but hoped he wouldn't fail this time.

John raced through the outskirts of Jollywood, his blue-grey fur bristling. His eyes stung in fear as he traced the path the witch and warlock took.

The bull arrived at a swampy yard, that smelled of muck and hog drool. His nose scrunched, but nonetheless he trudged through the mud. John reached the door of the blue and purple housing and busted down the door with a strong kick from his hind legs.

The door fell to the floor with a bang, and a crystal ball that was sitting on a table fell to the ground and started rolling. The bull charged in and rammed against the blue-haired warlock. The witch readied her wand.

A crash shook the table Bashful's orb was placed upon, and it bumped off its stand. Bashful shakily stood and gazed out the glass. The edge of the table loomed and the dwarf froze up in fear that overcame him too often.

The ball fell to the floor, the sudden speed sending Bashful crashing up to the top of the orb. His small back collided with the surface, rocketing pain through his limbs, adding to his burning and constricted chest. The wind was knocked out of the dwarf in an uncomfortable wheeze. But alas, gravity was gravity, and Bashful was thrown back to the ground.

He couldn't find the strength to open his eyes after that fall. His chest felt like it had caved in and breathing was more difficult than ever. Thankfully the force was strong enough to deactivate the spell of silent pain.

But the only sounds to make at that point were quiet moans. He didn't have the strength to lift himself up, and his orb continued to roll and clink against the walls. Every muscle in his body screamed in pain, and Bashful became aware of just how tired he was. He closed his eyes, intending to rest a little and be right back up and ready to escape. At least that's what he intended.

John spun in a sudden and jerky movement, Hildy's wand flying from her pale fist. The witch drew back. She didn't notice how the beast's eyes watered in the fear something had happened to his only friend. She didn't notice the crystal ball tilting about on her floor. She just grabbed her broom and bolted, dragging her husband with her.

John stood in the empty house, dread pulling at his heart. Bashful had been nowhere to be seen, so the bull turned to leave, steaming in frustration. His hoof slipped on something, so he looked down….

...And he saw a sweater that was barely recognizable as green, due to the excess of blood stained on it through the cracked orb.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Big Bash is Back**

Chapter 4

 _ **DISCLAIMER!:** **I DO NOT OWN THE 7D!**_

 _ **Author's Note: Thank you for the positive feedback!**_

The air hung heavy in the dark, dank room. The bull's stance was frozen in fear, but he eventually bowed his head and gazed into the orb.

Bashful lay on his side, his eyes peacefully closed, a gentle stream of red leaking from his cracked-open mouth. His back spilled blood from the nasty fall from the table, when he crashed to the top. His small area of chest barely echoed with breath. The dwarf was sensitive, and his body couldn't take much physical abuse.

John's heart raced. Bashful never deserved this. _Is this normal? t_ he bull wondered suddenly. The backstabbing, the sorcerers, the pain. Emotions hit his chest like a load of bricks. But what was worse was the sight of the injured dwarf right under his nose.

The bull nudged the orb slightly, nerves bursting, not knowing what else to do. No response. He bumped it again. Relief budded in him when his beloved dwarf groggily opened an eye.

Bashful blinked heavily, his mind struggling to work. His back burned, the warm blood sticking to his sweater. The metallic liquid tinted his taste buds, dripping from a cut in his lip. The dwarf looked up, hoping for someone to help him.

The familiar face of a bull stared back. Bashful smiled gently, despite his pain. John crouched to inspect the injuries, when all of a sudden, the thundering sound of feet filled his ears. A victorious whistle followed.

"I _knew_ the Glooms were involved!" Grumpy exclaimed, unsurprised.

John gazed disapprovingly at the dwarves. If anyone should help Bashful, it should be _him._ He actually _cared_!

Grumpy glared back. If looks could kill… Doc kept his grim expression and looked up at the animal. "Listen, there's no stopping us running into you, but I need to see Bashful. We know he's here." Dopey whistled in agreement, confident in his tracking this time.

The bull huffed, disgruntled. This dwarf, this _traitor_ , thought he could boss him around? Not a chance!

A minuscule voice whispered out to John. "Please….just let them." Bashful was smart enough to know he had to get medical attention. The injury hurt terribly, the pain clawing through his entire being, fogging his mind. He had to make it _stop_!

John looked down, fear flooding through him. Yes, Bashful was injured, but how did he know the 6D wouldn't make it worse? All he knew was that the dwarves were rude and unappreciative. Those didn't seem like very good doctor traits.

Thinking quickly and irrationally, John stamped a hoof on the glass orb at his feet. Cracks issued, prying the prison apart. The spell was broken, and John hastily threw the regular-size Bashful onto his back.

He huffed protectively, and ran. The dwarf groaned and grasped the short blue-grey hair around him. Bashful's back ached, and he couldn't understand why his trusted sidekick was running from the dwarf whose name was literally Doc. The strawberry blond had to put this injury above all the bad stuff he had heard. The pain was nearly unbearable.

John however, had no intention of turning around. He had convinced himself the other dwarves were cruel, heartless villains. A fury still burned in him. There was _no way_ he would let any of them lay a finger on Bashful! If his dwarf was hurt, he could find a way to fix him on his own.

After all, they were superheroes. They could do anything...right? Wasn't that how it worked?

Doc pressed his thumb and forefinger to his forehead. He sighed, stress building. "How are we supposed to do anything, if that bull keeps getting in the way?" He spoke "bull" sourly.

Dopey sat on the ground, his blue sweater pooling around him. He had an idea brewing in his mind, and wanted to share it. Unfortunately, he could only whistle, and Doc didn't always translate correctly. Besides, this could end up getting Bashful in trouble.

He kept quiet.

Dopey was smarter than he got credit for. He knew that bull was the same one from before. Therefore, this bull had connections with the mysterious hero that was the Big Bash. And just now he was with Bashful. It seemed pretty clear, but there would be a lot of unwanted blabber if the idea was false.

Grumpy pounded his fist. "This is more trouble than Bashful's worth," he remarked, remembering all the times Bashful merely stood by, or was hiding while the rest were on a mission. All this trouble seemed worthless to him. What good would it do?

Sneezy frowned at Grumpy, wiping his nose on his scarf. The elder dwarf scowled at this- _disgusting_. "But Grumpy, Bashful's our friend!"

"And our friend is hurt!" Doc added. "Sev-er, six D, we can stop at nothing to defeat that bull and rescue our pal!"

Sneezy grinned. "You saw da feet on him, Doc!" Sleepy smiled sideways at his friend, and they high-foured. That joke never seemed to get old with the two dwarves.

Dopey whistled softly to Doc, needing to remorsefully point something out. Doc choked slightly. "Yeah, Dopey. I guess...I guess we were mean earlier. But you don't think Bashful heard any of that, do you?"

Dopey awkwardly shrugged. If his theory was correct, Bashful heard it all. ...Huh, that would explain why he was acting so strangely back at the cottage.

The dreary cottage was suddenly an explosion of voices. Explanations told to the wrong person, defenses held strong, teary apologies. It was, unsurprisingly, Doc who brought peace.

"Listen, fellas. We can't really take back what we said. But we can't stand around here feeling sorry for ourselves. We _need_ to find Bashful. He never did anything to us. Besides, that wound looked bad, and it's highly plausible it will get infected if we don't treat it."

Sneezy recoiled. "And by infected…?"

Doc pulled a photo from his tall blue and green hat, displaying it. A chorus of "eew!" sounded.

Sleepy peeked his eye open. "Yeah, let's go help Bashful."

"RESCUE HEIGH HO!" The group charged out of the disheveled home, guilt and determination filling their hearts.

John charged through the village square. It was certainly a sight to see- a large bull, crashing through town, a bleeding dwarf on his back. Bashful wrapped his tiny arms around the animal. The wind exploded onto his open wound, producing a burning sensation. The shy man hissed through his teeth.

As the duo thundered through town, villagers jumped out of their way, screaming. A certain royal advisor noticed too late, though. Starchbottom was plowed down by the bull, shouting at the top of his lungs.

The green-clad man stood, dusting off his strange clothes, and looked over. He was certainly surprised at least to see a familiar dwarf looking back. His violet eyes were hollow and tired. The advisor recoiled at the sight of blood.

Starchbottom mustered up courage. He could show that he was clearly able to help. He dashed after the bull, calling, "Bashful! Hey, Bashful!"

John barely slowed down enough to let the queen's helper catch up. The latter cleared his throat nervously under the intimidating red-eyed gaze of the creature. "Bashful, um, if you're hurt, then I can, you know, take you to the castle hospital wing."

The bull's nostrils flared, but the dwarf smiled wearily. He quietly responded with, "Only if I won't be a bother."

Lord Starchbottom grinned hugely. Now was his chance to show he could work just as well, or better, than the 7D. How better to show that than rescuing one of those dwarves? Awkwardly, Starchy avoided the eyes of the animal. He could feel the hot breath of the beast on his face.

Bashful gently patted his sidekick, prompting him to follow the advisor. John reluctantly agreed. He had hardly seen this man, but Bashful seemed to trust him. The creature decided he would bolt if this guy turned out to be a creep. Anything to protect Bashful.

Once the trio arrived at the entrance to the castle, Lord Starchbottom turned to halt the bull, but John casually kept walking. The staff member tensed. How would the queen react to a random bull strutting through the castle? Starchy ran to catch up.

Where did this bull come from anyways? And why was Bashful with him? Bashful was a timid, gentle dwarf; that didn't mix well with a crazed, tough bull. This animal walked the halls like he owned the place, while Bashful always bowed politely in presence of the queen, and often hid behind his friends. The two were complete opposites.

At the hospital wing, John winced when Starchbottom lifted Bashful. _If this strange man hurts Bashful, he better believe I will hurt him._ The advisor was exceptionally careful, scared he could damage the very fragile dwarf. Once the shy dwarf was lying on a cot, John sat next to it, looking like an obedient dog.

Bashful was actually quite silent as he got put into the bed. His violet eyes were half-lidded, too. It spooked Starchy a bit.

Starchbottom inhaled and exhaled, trying to slow down and remember some medical training. (One never knew what they would encounter while working for the queen.) With careful, shaking fingers, Starchy fiddled with Bashful's sweater.

Face burning red, the dwarf spread his arms across him as best he could with a back injury. "W-what are y-you doing?"

The advisor ran a hand through his red hair. "I need to see the injury, Bashful."

"B-but..." Bashful wasn't too keen on showing himself to others. It was so awkward. He could already feel prying, judging eyes. The dwarf felt much more comfortable in his green sweater. "..o-okay then..."

Lord Starchbottom gently wiggled the striped sweater downward off the dwarf. Cringing, he tossed the bloody rag aside. Bashful's arms covered his bare chest; slowly, he lowed them down, showing his pale torso.

Ignoring the dwarf's tomato red face, Starchbottom examined the cut. A bad purplish bruise was developing around the injury. The advisor gingerly pressed his cold hands around the injury. Bashful hissed through his teeth in pain.

Upon pressure, the bleeding slowed to barely a trickle. Starchbottom let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. If the bleeding didn't stop, Bashful would have to be taken to a medical professional.

Alright...next was...disinfection? Yeah.

The royal advisor briskly washed his hands and pulled out a yellow box of disinfectant wipes. He took out a small bucket from a cabinet and proceeded to fill it with water. He dropped a soft piece of cloth into the bucket, and brought all the items over to the clean white bed.

Bashful was lying on his stomach, turned to his left. That mysterious bull was rubbing his snout on the dwarf's hand. Starchy was baffled as to how the little guy could be smiling at a time like this.

Clearing his throat, Starchbottom placed down the items. He drenched the cloth, wrung it out, and placed it on the cut. Bashful screamed.

"NO! AUGH! GET IT OFF!" Tears pricked at his violet eyes. "IT HURTS!"

The nearby bull snapped his head up defensively.

Sweating, Lord Starchbottom jerked the damp rag off the injury. Bashful was breathing heavily, his eyes shut tight. "Bashful...I really need to clean your cut. I'll try to make it quick."

The dwarf swallowed and looked up. "O-okay..."

The advisor took a deep breath and pressed the cloth on the wound. He heard Bashful hiss in pain, but quickly finished washing the injury. As quickly as it had come, the sting of direct contact was gone.

Bashful gasped. It was over, but a light sting still lingered. He had been gripping the short blue-grey fur of his animal friend, abet tightly, but John didn't mind. The bull gently pushed his head toward the dwarf, and nuzzled his human companion.

The procedure was repeated with the disinfectant wipes.

Starchbottom washed his hands again. That's another thing done. He was just waiting for this medical stuff to be finished. His stomach had held so far, but it might not for long. Blood had somehow rubbed off onto his fingers.

Reaching into the cabinet, the man wrapped his fingers around a soft roll of bandage. Back at the bed, he carefully helped Bashful sit up, and wrapped the bandage around the dwarf's torso. The advisor tied a sloppy bow in the front.

Starchbottom sighed. The dressing of the wound was over, his job was done. He could go ahead and leave now; the advisor had achieved that feeling of superiority. Yeah, he had to dress a bloody wound, but he proved he could do better than the 7D.

Lord Starchbottom watched the little dwarf try to scramble onto the bull's back, his little legs struggling. The animal leaned down and helped the chubby dwarf onto his back. Bashful had wrapped his small arms around the beast, when he looked back at Starchy.

His smile was genuine. "Thank you."

The advisor stared as the duo burst from the room. How could one of the 7D seem so...sweet?

As the pair burst back into the world, cold air hit the small dwarf. Oh right. The sweater was left bloody and crumpled back at the hospital wing.

Bashful shivered in his bandages. He pressed himself onto John, both for warmth and to hide himself a bit.

Villagers stared. This being Jollywood, citizens had a different sense of normal, so this was barely out of the realm of regular. But it was still strange. It wasn't everyday one saw the shyest of the 7D, wearing bandages, riding upon a charging bull.

John understood enough, so he rushed to a familiar housing.

The sweet smell of laundry fluttered through the breeze. It was a mix of different smells; no two dwarves liked the same kind of detergent. Happy loved most scents, especially the flower ones, but those made Sneezy's nose really irritated. Sneezy's preferred kind kept Sleepy up at night, so he used sweet nighttime scents. Most detergents made Dopey and Bashful itch. Grumpy was picky, and so was Doc to some extent.

The unique combination of smells was impossible to mistake as anything but the clean laundry of the 7D. The tall cottage came into view and a feeling of warmth spread through Bashful.

The dwarf was dropped off at the clothesline and pulled on a sweater. He sighed inwardly. He had to admit he missed his friends.

 _I guess that's the thing about family. Whatever they do, you can't help but forgive them._

And maybe….if they had said those things….

 _Then_ I _must be the problem._


End file.
